These Long Years
by PixyStick
Summary: Something happened five years ago that forced one of the sailor scouts to leave. Now she has no choice but to come back.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note/ This story is something I thought up at work. It may become slightly AU later, I'm having trouble figureing out how Crystal Tokyo will fit into everything. Feel free to email me with any questions. and as always Please Review!

She sat holding a thin piece of gold metal, a smooth blue stone at the center. Five years, it had been five years since she left everything behind. Her friends, her home, her lover, everything she knew and had grown to accept. She left it all behind. She abandoned them all, and worst of all she left her queen. To whom she had knelt before and promised to always protect. She had made a vow to her, a sworn oath; but she abandoned that too. She had failed her queen. She had done the unthinkable and left without warning. She hadn't looked at it since she left, it was tarnished from lack of use, she hadn't worn it since that fateful day.

Back then she had kept it polished, it was something to be proud of, something she was proud to wear. But now it only reminded her of the shame of what she had done. Something had been stirring in her these past few weeks. Something was happening, something bad was coming. Something she hadn't felt for over five years. They would need her; she was strong, though not as strong now as she was then. They would still need her help. But how could she go back? How could she face them and what she had left behind? How could she go back there where everything would remind her of what she had done and those she had hurt? But she had to go, there was no choice. She had done something terrible, but she would be even worse if she didn't go to them. However hard it was she had to leave, leave the life she had built so carefully as to not bring any of the old into the new. She had decided, tomorrow she would pack up and return to the place she thought she had left for good.

But first things first, she walked to her dresser and pulled out a blue wand, placing the piece of metal to her forehead she called out the words she had said so many times before. She felt the wind rush through her as if it were the first time. The wonderful sensation rushed over her leaving her feelings of nostalgia. She turned to inspect herself in the mirror. Although time had passed she had changed very little. One thing was for certain, Sailor Uranus was back.

So theres the first chapter its kind of short but my intro chapters always are. please review, I already have several more chapters written and will post as soon as I get reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, this ones not much longer than the last one but its still a chapter! Thank you for your reviews! Please keep them coming!

I do not own Sailor moon or any of the characters I'm using

Enjoy!

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Haruka Tenou was not your average woman. At 25 years old she had seen more in her life than most do by the time they die. She had struggled with a rough childhood it a not so great family. At sixteen she ran away from home, and by seventeen home wasn't the only thing she was running from. She had always been tomboyish and athletic, something that always made it hard for her to fit in with the other girls. So she hung out with the boys and she fit, then when the other boys started looking at girls she did too. By seventeen she was an accomplished racer, she enjoyed nothing more than hearing the wind rush in her ears. She wanted to be that fast, as fast as the wind; if she was maybe she could escape what seemed to be coming. She had been having visions and not comforting ones. Just days after her seventeenth birthday she met a girl, Michiru Kaioh, the most beautiful person she had ever met. Something about this girl seemed to trigger the nightmares, they seemed to only worsen. Not long after she discovered the truth she was a Sailor Scout. A protector of justice. And what she had spent so much time running from she soon found herself accepting. She began to fight along side Michiru and it was that fight that led them to Japan. There she had met the other scouts and fought against them before realizing that they were all truly on the same team they just didn't agree on how to reach their goals. The girls had not only become her friends but also her sisters, and as far as she was concerned the only family she had. And as for Michiru, the two girls became closer than that. They were partners, lovers. They lived together the entire time they were in Japan, eventually buying a house with Setsuna in order to raise little Hotaru.

Memories flooded back to her as she packed, memories both good and bad. Clearing her closet her eyes landed on a box. The box contained the few things she brought with her from Japan. Pictures, keys to the apartment to her cars and her bike, one of Michiru's old rehearsal bows, her old sword, and a few other random things to remind her of the old days. The days when things were tough, but she was happy. Before it happened. She left, ran away to Italy and didn't look back. She couldn't, nothing good could happen if she did. But now she had to, and it may be the hardest thing she ever did. Nothing she had done with the scouts seemed as hard as what she was about to do.

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There it is another short chapie but the get longer. I still have a few more already written. How fast I post them all depends on how much you Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Ok so here's chapter 3. Now that I've got a few chapter up I'm gonna wait till I get some reviews, I'll post the next chapter once I have 5, its not that big a number.

As usual I don't own sailor moon

Enjoy!

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A knock at her door broke her out o her thoughts. she cursed to herself. She forgot he was coming today. Leaving the bedroom she grabbed her keys and opened the door being careful to hide the boxes all over the living room. "Hi" she said a bit overly enthusiastic "lets go!" she said grabbing his wrist and leading him to the elevator before he could react. Once the doors were safely closed she let go of his wrist. "What's going on?" he asked. "Nothing!" she exclaimed once again putting too much into the answer. "I'm I'm just glad to see you". He decided to drop the subject for now. Getting off the elevator she headed toward the front door and took a left down the sidewalk towards the little café where they always had their lunches. Sitting at their usual table she was in a daze as he ordered.

"Haruka?" he said bringing her back to reality. She looked at him, Antonio, the man who had changed her outlook on life when she thought nothing could get better. He was tall just slightly taller than she, with brown hair and beautiful blue eyes.

"Toni" she sighed unsure of how to continue. How could she tell the one person who had been there for her for the last five years that she had to leave?

They had met nearly a year and a half after she arrived in Italy, at the auto shop, he was a mechanic and she needed someone to fix her precious car. As he looked it over they discussed cars and racing. By the time he finished it was late and she was hungry. He suggested a little café just around the corner from his shop. They had dinner and never ran out of things to say. He walked her home and gave her his card, just incase she needed work on her car again he said, but that wasn't the reason. Ever since they'd been having lunch at least three times a week. They were a couple, and for the first time in her life she knew it was possible for her to have feelings for a man. He had made living bearable. They'd been seeing each other for two years now, but they were still taking it slow. She had explained her past as much as she could and he understood her need to not become too committed. Still she knew this would be hard.

"Something's wrong I can tell" he said before she had a chance to begin. She took a deep breath and spoke

"I have to leave; I have to go back to Japan. My friends, the ones I've told you about, they need me, I have to go back to them." She let it sink in. he looked both sad and confused.

"But" he said working hard to form the right words "I thought you fell out with them, you fought or something and you couldn't go back"

"I did, and I never planned on returning, but something has happened, I'm not sure what, but I must go back to them. They need me." He was silent, she waited, it was a lot to take in. "Toni?" she finally said tentatively.

"Okay" he said slowly "When do we leave?"

"What?"

"When do we leave, I've gotta pack, sell my apartment, let Marco know the shop is his…"

"What are you talking about?" she cut him off.

"I'm going with you." Her heart melted and broke all at the same time.

"I can't let you do that, I have to go on my own. There's too much I can't say, too much I can't explain. I just can't let you come with me, I wish I could but I can't" The look on his face told her that she was hurting him as much as she was hurting herself. "I'm sorry, but I have to go" she got up and walked away.

If she had stayed just a moment longer she would have heard what he said next. "But I love you."

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Remember 5 reviewsnew chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Ok heres the next one. We're getting closer to then end of my already written chapters so I'm going to hold out longer between chapters so that I can keep on top of this story and not let it die.

Thank you for the reviews keep em comin!

I do not own sailor moon

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As she stepped off the plane she tried to calm the butterflies from her stomach. She couldn't understand why she was nervous she was never nervous. When the fate of the world was in your hands there was no time to be nervous. She couldn't remember ever being this nervous. Not that first time when she watched a little boy turn into a monster and she had to make a life altering choice to save him. Not the time she shot herself because she knew that sacrificing her pure heart was the only way to save humanity. Not even when she killed one of her best friends in order to make her enemy believe she was loyal. None of those things had made her nervous, why was this?

She hailed a cab and flawlessly recited the address of her old apartment. She was glad to know those five years of speaking nothing but Italian hadn't shaken her grasp on the language. She smiled out the window at the familiar sites. Yes, Italy was beautiful, all the history and architecture. But she had missed Tokyo! The skyscrapers, the bustle, the rush of the city. For a few moments she forgot her nerves and just enjoyed being back. But the feeling was short lived as the cab pulled up to the familiar building. She let out a big sigh and entered though the front door. The door man was the same as was the elevator attendant. He gave her a surprised look before directing the lift to her floor. She thanked him and walked to her door. With another sigh she put her key in and turned the knob.

The place looked the same. Only the thick layer of dust on the furniture gave any indication that anytime had passed here. Before entering the room she bent to pick up the large pile of mail at her feet and tossed it all on the table she kept by the door. The light on the answering machine was an unblinking red indicating that the tape was full. Not wanting to listen to the messages now she walked unthinking to the bedroom. Just like the rest of the apartment, the room was unchanged. For a moment she stood in the doorway before walking to the left side of the bed, Michiru's side. Laying down she put her face to the pillow. It still smelled like her. Five years had passed but the faint smell of her perfume was still there. Breathing in the scent it all came back to her the years she lived here, they lived here. All the emotions.

Then it hit her what was she doing here? Why on Earth did she come back? She was safe in Italy. She was happy. But she choose to come back. They needed her. Something was coming. For the first time in years she let herself think about them. Wondering how they were. What they were doing with their lives. Wondering if Usagi and Mamoru had married yet. And the others? Had their knights become more than just protectors? And Hotaru how was she? How had her adopted daughter grown up? How did she handle her teen years? Tomorrow was Saturday, she wondered if they still held the scout meetings on Saturdays. Setsuna and Michiru surly would have felt it by now so they would be calling the girls together. She let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding and rolled to her side of the bed. She would just have to wait and find our tomorrow.

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There it is

now see the pretty button that says review? Hit it!


	5. Chapter 5

Ok heres the next one, I'm on spring break so I hope to get some more written this week, I've still got one more chapter ready but after that I'm on my own.

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She stood at the bottom of the steps looking up at the familiar red arch. The steps had never seemed as high as they did now. How many times had she climbed them before? How many of these meetings had she come to? Sighing she began her accent taking the steps one at a time her heart beating harder and harder as she climbed higher and higher. Reaching the top she took in the place. little had changed, the buildings were still the same, the ancient tree still stood, prayers wrapped around its branches, and there on the steps sat a group of girls just as they had so many times before. She stood studying them for a moment knowing that soon enough they would discover her presence. They had grown. No longer were they the innocent high school girls she once knew, they were young women. She wondered where the men were, but was relieved to be alone with the girls when this happened. She watched as Rei stiffened, she was caught, the raven haired girl slowly turned to face her. She watched as a look of shock and anger crossed her face. "Haruka" she whispered. This caught the attention of the others, and as if in slow motion they all turned to face her. All was silent as they took each other in. a huge mixture of emotions crossed the faces in front of her. She caught the eyes of he once lover. Tears were beginning to stream down her lovely face, hurt tears, tears of pain. Then without warning she was engulfed in a hug of blond locks.

"Ruka!" Usagi cried. "Bun head" she whispered taken aback. She was the only one who seemed at all happy that she was back, yet she should be angry like the others. She should be angrier than the others. What Haruka had done was horrible and yet here was Usagi welcoming her back with open arms. Usagi broke the hug and looked up into the older women's eyes. "We've missed you!" she exclaimed then turned to face the others to find out why they were not all at her sides welcoming Haruka back. The faces she encountered were cold hard and full of anger, only Setsuna seemed without emotion. This was more like what Haruka had expected. "What's wrong?" asked Usagi facing the scouts.

"What are you doing here?" asked Rei. Haruka could almost feel the heat emanating from the scout of fire.

"Rei" Haruka breathed her heart heavy with the thought of the discussion to come.

"You show up out of the blue after five years and you want what? Did you expect a warm welcome? Did you think that time would just erase what you did? Usagi was dying Haruka! And you just took off! No warning, no note, no call, Michiru gets home one night and your gone!' Haruka looked to the aqua haired girl, she hung her head but Haruka could tell that tears were now freely flowing. Setsuna put her arms around the girl and glanced at Haruka as long as Haruka had known her Setsuna had been unreadable, now was no different. Rei continued to yell things that were true but not important now. They would be dealt with but there were more important things that needed to be addressed.

"You've felt it" Haruka said to Setuna, not breaking eye contact. Rei stopped instantly and turned to look at the guardian of time. Setsuna nodded ever so slightly. "And you have too Michiru" she stated. Then she turned to Rei "Rei?" the young woman froze before hanging her head

"I didn't want to believe it" she said her voice barley above a whisper. "We've had peace, it's been calm, Usagi's ok now, everything's been good. I didn't want to believe that we would have to fight again. I'm getting married next month, I don't want to fight!" she said trying hard not to break into sobs.

"What? Chad finally proposed?" Haruka said surprised.

"Actually" Minako piped in "it went more like (imitating Rei) Chad are you ever going to ask me to marry you? (Imitating Chad) uh will you? (Imitating Rei trying not to yell) Fine." The girls all laughed and for a moment everything was right again.

"I'm sorry I missed that" Haruka laughed.

"You've missed so much" said Ami.

"Yea, where have you been?" asked Makoto. Haruka hung her head, trying to keep things light she shook her head

"It's a long story, but first I want to hear what's been going on with all of you"

"Alright" chirped Usagi "let's go inside. Maybe Rei's grandpa will make those tasty dumplings". With this the girls began ushering Haruka into the house.

"Hold it!" Rei yelled. Haruka turned to see her Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru holding back. "You're going to just forget what she did and go to tell girly stories?"

"Rei's right" Haruka said "what I did is unforgivable. I don't deserve to be welcomed back to you so warmly"

"But you came back" Usagi trailed off. Haruka smiled sadly. Usagi may have grown up but she still had her simplistic ideas

"That doesn't erase what I did"

"What you did doesn't matter. It's in the past and the past has well, passed"

"No Usagi I really do owe you an explanation and an apology"

"Well we'll get to that later. First we have to tell you everything you missed!"

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Ok as usual read and review, it inspires me to write more!


	6. Author's note

Author's Note

First I apologize for this. I know how much I hate it when I get the notice that there's a new chapter up and it turns out it's only a note, but I have a few questions.

Do I need to explain the knights? I have a back story for all of that but I don't know if I should put it in the story.

I'm also going to start using the guys in the story and what I want to know is should I use the Japanese names or the American ones? I know I already used Chad and if I decide to go with the Japanese names I'll go back and change that

Feel free to either review with your answers or email me at for you input!


	7. Chapter 7

So here's the next chapter, with much prodding and poking from a friend I've finally posted it! I've got another one written but looking over it I want to rework it. Please see my author's note last chapter and respond!

I do not own sailor moon

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She had missed much. The girls all sat in Rei's room talking about the past five years. Three weddings, two engagements and the appearance of a new knight. Usagi, Ami and Makoto were all married to their knights. Rei and Minako were engaged. Rei was to marry next month and Minako in December. And the new knight was that of Pluto. The girls said that although they were not dating they sure seemed to spend a lot of time together. She had missed a visit from Chibiusa who was now in her teens, and following in her mothers footsteps, falling for a boy from Earth. Each of the girls had a job they loved. As the conversation slowed Michiru spoke for the first time.

"So Haruka what have you been up to?" Her question was completely neutral but Haruka knew better. That tone was loaded with emotion; she was hurt, angry, bitter, confused, and frustrated and so many other things. Haruka sighed

"I've been in Italy"

"Italy?!" Minako said excited "you've been in Italy for five years?"

"Yes"

"Well what have you been doing? Where in Italy were you? Did you see the tower of Pisa? Did you see the coliseum? What about the Vatican City? Did you eat lots of pizza?" Haruka let out a chuckle in spite of herself

"Yes, I've been in Italy for five years. I spent the first year traveling the country and I did see all of the places you mentioned plus lots more. I ended up in a city not far from Rome named Frosinone. I got a job working in an auto parts store and I've just been living day to day since." She shrugged, compared to what had been happening here what she'd been up to seemed so uneventful, besides Toni. She stopped herself; she promised she wouldn't think of him. "I'll tell you more about Italy later. Right now there are more important things to consider. Something's coming something bad and we need to prepare.

"How much do you know?" asked Makoto.

"Not much" Haruka replied "we should probably focus on what Setsuna, Rei and Michiru have been seeing, I'm afraid after being away for so long my senses have weakened". The girls all turned to look at the three scouts; none of them seemed to want to be the first to speak. Setsuna was quiet and stoic as usual, she wouldn't speak until absolutely necessary. Michiru had calmed but her eyes were still puffy from crying and Rei seemed determined to ignore what was happening.

"Rei, what have you seen?" Asked Ami

"Cold" Rei answered hesitantly "it's not like anything we've faced before. All my visions before have been filled with death and destruction and fire, heat but not now. There are still terrible things, but it's not hot. There's still death and destruction but there's something cold about it."

"And quiet" Michiru added "I hear cries, wailing and then an eerie silence." The room got quiet, it was clear this was very different from what they had faced before. Just as the silence started to get uncomfortable the sound of voices began to reach the room. A moment later the door slid open. Standing in the doorway were the men.

"What's going on?" asked Mamoru looking around the room for a moment before his eyes landed on Haruka "Oh" he said answering his own question.

"Let's move outside" suggested Ami "there's not enough room for all of us in here"

Once they had gathered outside, the girls began to fill the guys in on what was going on. Haruka let the girls do most of the talking. As she watched, her eyes fell on Mamoru. He looked at Usagi so lovingly. He must have felt her gaze because he looked up. Catching her eye he gave her a look, although there was anger in his eyes it was mostly a look of disappointment. Before it all happened they had been friends. They worked out together and talked about cars. He had been her relief when surrounded by such a large group of girls, but the main thing that had made them close was their protectiveness for Usagi. Both of them had held her safety over their own. Haruka gave him a long nod letting him know that she knew the seriousness of what she had done and that she would explain it all later.

The group talked into the afternoon and as they headed home the sun was beginning to set. Haruka didn't dawdle, it had been a long day and she wanted to hold off the confrontations for another day. As she headed down the stairs toward home she didn't notice the aqua haired woman watching her leave. Tears on her cheek, a smile on her face.

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So there it is! please review and let me know what you think about the chapter and the author's note


	8. Chapter 8

AN/ SHOCK! 2 updates in less than a month!? well with midterms abound what else was there to do but update! lol just don't get used to it.

As usual I don't own Sailor Moon

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Screams, sweat, fire, blood. The air was full of noise, shouts. Both from their side, and from the other. Attacks flew back and forth. They were growing tired and they didn't seem to be making progress. She looked momentarily to her right as her partner threw an attack at their foe, she was sweating, tired, and doing every thing she just to stay standing.

"Hold on Neptune!" She called to the woman, trying to raise her spirits. Neptune gave a determined nod and stood stronger. To her other side stood Pluto, showing no signs of fatigue; she was concentrated on the task at hand. She heard Usagi yell an attack from somewhere behind her and saw a beam of light stream past her towards their enemy. Suddenly the ground began to shake and the oncoming attacks began to become more and more violent. Without thinking Haruka doubled back and began to run towards Usagi, the closer she was the better she would be able to protect her, but before she reached her princess she was hit. She fell to the ground unable to move, not hurt but somehow frozen. She watched in horror as the largest attack yet flew straight at Sailor Moon, unable to do anything she watched as she collapsed. "USAGI!" she cried.

Haruka bolted up rite. Breathing heavily with cold sweat dripping down her face she tried to calm herself down. It was just a dream, a dream she had had many times before, but that she hadn't had for two years. It was bound to happen, being back here she was going to have to face what happened that day. She hadn't been careful, she hadn't paid attention to what was going on, if she had she could have stopped it, could have reached Sailor Moon in time. It was her fault; she had failed to protect her.

As she sat there trying to shake the dream from her head all she could think about was the days that followed. They had in the end beaten the enemy, though she didn't know how and rushed Usagi to the hospital. They had come up with some story, about a mugger or a fire or something, she had repressed the memories so much that she could barley remember what had happened. She did however remember one thing very clearly, the one thing she wished to forget. Standing over the bed in the middle of the night watching her. She was unconscious, an IV in her arm and a breathing tube down her throat. Haruka couldn't stand it. Seeing her lying there so helpless showing no real signs of life. The room was silent nothing but the steady beat of Usagi's heart monitor. It killed her watching but she couldn't look away. It was her fault, if she had just moved faster she could have prevented it, and Usagi wouldn't be laying here barley alive, just clinging to life. She couldn't take it, she had turned around and left, just planning to go home and shower but when she got in her car she didn't drive home. Just a drive, she had told herself, something to clear her head, but she had kept going and going. The further away she got the harder it got to turn back. She drove and until she couldn't drive anymore. When she reached the coast she got a room at a cheap motel for the night. The next morning she bought a ticket for a ferry, made arrangements for her car and left Japan, never looking back. She got off the ferry got a car to the nearest airport and took the first plane she could get on. Space, she wanted to put as much distance between her and what she had done, to leave it behind.

The next few months were a blur. She arrived in Italy and spent a year traveling and then settled down. She got a job in an auto parts store and went on living as if nothing had ever happened. Remembering she shook her head. She should have known that it would catch up with her. That was what happened the first time she tried to escape; she ran and ran but could not out run her destiny. It had found her on a race track, when a little boy was consumed by a monster. She should have known that it would find her in Italy.


	9. Chapter 9

TA DA! 3 years later and I up date! I was reading through the story today and I could have sworn I'd written more so I did a massive search on my computer and low and behold 3 unpublished chapters! now only 2 of them are in order the 3rd happens much later in the story but if I get enough reviews I might be inspired to more quickly connect the dots!

Enjoy! As usual I don't own Sailor Moon

It had been a week since she was reunited with her friends. The week had been uneventful. The girls were working most of the week and Haruka had settled back in to the apartment. It was strange having it to herself, sure she had lived alone for the last five years but here she had never lived here alone. It was strange getting up in this bed and not having someone next to her. Even after all this time she would get up and expect to find Michiru in the kitchen making breakfast.

The first few days were ok, she listened to the messages and went through the mail, then she did a massive clean of the apartment. But by Thursday she was already getting a bit stir crazy. She called her manager's office and made a meeting, deciding it was time to get out and restart her life here. She drove to his office that afternoon both excited and nervous. She couldn't wait to start racing again but had no idea how her manager would react. He would have been mad when she disappeared but had he gotten over it? Would he be glad to have her back or would he yell at her for leaving? She parked outside the office and took a deep breath before getting out of her car and heading for the front door The office had barley changed; she didn't know why she had expected it to. In fact everywhere she went she expected change, but little had. She didn't understand, she had changed so much, how could everything here stay the same? She went to the desk and gave the secretary her name, at least she was new.

"I'll let him know you're here" she said smiling. Haruka nodded, somewhat glad that the secretary didn't know who she was, one less person to ask her where she'd been. A minute passed maybe two, either way it felt like much longer, before the secretary came out and said "He'll see you now". Haruka followed her into the office.

"Thank you" he said dismissing the secretary. She left and shut the door. There was a pause before "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"I-" she started, but he cut her off.

"You called and told me friend was in the hospital and that you wouldn't make the race, fine, but the next one comes and NOTHING! You don't show, no call, note, letter, nothing. THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT RACE! He went on for another five minuets. Haruka just nodded knowing that soon he would run out of steam and she would have a chance to speak her piece. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry; I can't fully explain what happened. I got overwhelmed and I took off. Trust me; you aren't the only one I disappointed. You didn't deserve it. I know I've done something horrible, and I don't deserve it, but I was wondering if you would be willing to allow me to come back, and also maybe talk to my sponsor?" there was an awkward pause before a smile spread across his face, he laughed and said

"Of course you're coming back! You think I'd let you get away just because you're an idiot? I'd have to be crazy to send you away!" Haruka sighed with relief "I'll call your sponsor this afternoon, then the press! We'll get an interview tomorrow! 'Haruka Tenoh back on track!' I can see the headline!" she smiled; he dismissed her so that he could make his calls, telling her he'd let her know about the interview. She stepped out of the building and into the sun light, she felt good. She was taking steps to get back to her life. She got in her car and headed off to the auto shop. When she left she wasn't able to bring her cars with her, and after sitting in a garage for five years they could use a tune up.

So I know its mostly fluff but its something! I have another chapter all ready to post but I'm gonna hold of for a few days to try and get the creative juices flowing again, plus after re-reading the early chapters I'm going to go back and do some editing.

Please review, I've missed them even if it was my fault!


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